Kaukauna Timeline
Jean Nicolet was possibly the first European to view the great rapids at Kaukauna
1670Father Claude Allouez in his diary."On the 18th day of April 1670, we made a portage which they call Kakalin. Our sailors drew the canoe through the rapids; I walked on the banks of the river where I found apple trees and vine stalks in great abundance"
1729Charles de Langlade, son of Augustin de Langlade and Domitelle, sister to the head of the Ottawa, born in Mackinac.
1752Charles de Langlade with a force of 200 Ottawa attacks the Miami village of Pickawillany -- signalling the start of the French-Indian (or Seven Year's) War.
1755De Langlade and his Ottawa are given credit for planning the attack in which Braddock and the English were defeated at Fort Duquesne.
1759De Langlade and 400 Indians join Montcalm in the defense of Quebec. The French surrender and the French and Indian (SevenYears) War ends.
pre1760Charles de Langlade and his son-in-law, Pierre Grignon, open a trading post at Grand Kakalin
1763The Treaty of Paris is signed in which Wisconsin becomes a part of the British Empire.
1745Augsutin de Langlade and his son, Charles, first come to Green Bay.
1754Charles de Langlade marries Charlotte Ambroisine Bourassa, a daughter from this union marries Pierre Grignon.
1764The de Langlade family moves to Green Bay.
1793First recorded sale of land in Wisconsin occurs when Dominique DuCharme buys 1,282 acres of land that is today's Kaukauna from Wapisipine and Le Black Tobacco for two barrels of rum.
1795At this time, Kakalin was a village of over 1,500 inhabitants, mostly Indians and French-Indian traders. One resident is Dan McCrea, a Scotsman married to a Menominee woman, and whose daughter, Nancy would become Augustine's wife..
Pierre Grignon dies, and his son, Augustin, takes charge of the trading post.
1805Augustin Grignon and Nancy McCrea are married.
1809John Jacob Astor founds the American Fur Company
ca1812War of 1812
Paul Ducharme leaves Kaukauna for Green Bay because of the uncertainties of the the War of 1812
1813Paul Ducharme sells a portion of the land in Kaukauna, including Dominique's cabin to Augustin Grignon.
Augustine Grignon actually settles in Kaukauna to join his wife, Nancy McCrea, and therir children
1814Treaty of Ghent signed December 24th, ends British rule in Wisconsin.
1816Augustin Grignon builds a grist mill on his property, and a sawmill shortly after.
1822The Stockbridge and Munee tribes settle on the south side of the river at Statesburg.
1824"…the first real road to be opened in Wisconsin was laid out in 1824 along the east side of the Fox, from Green Bay to Kaukauna." (Thwaites)
1825Daniel Whitney builds a sawmill on the south side of Kaukauna almost opposite Grignon's.
1828In spring, Rev. Jesse Miner arrives to minister to the Stickbridge and Munsee tribes living in Statesburg on the south side of the river.
ca1830Augustin and Nancy Grignon leave Kaukauna for their holdings in Buttes des Morts. Their sons, Charles and Alexander take over the business and family homestead.
1832The Black Hawk War.
1835Dam dug at DePere -- one of the first construction projects which was part of the Fox River Locks system
Paul Beaulieu settles on the south side of Kaukauna (on the hill east of Konkapot Creek). He and James Boyd, a son-in-law to George Lawe, buy and operate Whitney's sawmill.
1836Paul Ducharme sells the remainder of his Kaukauna holdings to Judge John Lawe to cove his debts to Lawe. Lawe in turn gives the holdings to his son, George.
1837Charles Grignon builds his "mansion in the woods" as a gift for his bride, Mary Elizabeth Meade, whom he married on January 1st.
1839The village of Kaukauna is incorporated?
George Lawe moves to Kaukauna, builds a home, opens a trading post and a farm.
1842Nancy Grignon dies at age 53 at Buttes de Morts.
Immigrant Michael Klein who born in Germany in 1803, settles on the south bank.
1844Immigrant Peter Deidrich, born in Holland, settles and operates a ferry service directly across from Michael Klein farm.
1848Wisconsin is admitted to the Union.
1849Andrew Black, from New England, settles as a neighbor to Diedrich.
1851The State legislature chagnes the name of the town from Grand Kaukalin to Kaukauna.
Excavations begin at Kaukauna for the locks and dam system.
Alexander Grignon plats the town of Springville located on the eastern end of the Grignon land, near a sulphur spring. The town could not compete with Kaukaun and failed.
1856Completion of the Fox Locks and dam system. The economic boom for Kaukauna ends as canal workers move on. Vacant buildings are purchased and moved.
1861The Chicago and Northwestern Railway, the main line between Green Bay and Milwaukee comes to town.
1869Augustin Grignon dies at age 80 at Buttes de Morts.
1872Railway tracks from Manitowoc to Antigo laid along the south bank of the river.
The Kaukauna Water Power Company plats the village of Ledyard on the south side of the river.
1880The Kaukauna Times newspaper is started.
The Kaukauna Water Power Company is organized by officials of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western railway.
1884On June 20, the village of Ledyard on the south side of the river was granted a charter and John Hickey was elected village president.
1885The Kaukauna Sun newspaper is started.
In March, the villages of Ledyard and Kaukauna are incoprated into the City of Kaukauna.
On April 5th, Colonel H.A. Frambach was elected the city's first mayor.
1889Free Public High School organized.
1905Construction of a public library with assistance from Andrew Carnegie.
1923Construction of high school on the island.
1929The Vaudette Theatre shous the first "talkie" motion picture.
1930The Bank of Kaukauna is robbed of $40,000.
1932Construction of the U.S. Post Office on the island.
1933Regenfuss Brewery reopens after a dry period of 14 years.
1937Rialto Theatre opens with Edna Ferber's "Come & Get It".
1944Look's Drug Store opens on Second Street.
1948Dial phones come to Kaukauna.
1950Kaukauna swimming pool is dedicated.
1951The Hotel Kaukauna orginally called the Hotel Brothers, is destroyed by fire.
1953Automatic traffic signals are installed at the intersection of Lawe Street and Wisconsin Avenue.
1955Kaukauna Community Hospital is dedicated.
1957Senator John F. Kennedy visits Kaukauna as part of his primary campaign through Wisconsin.
1965City of Kaukauna celebrates 175th Jubilee.
1966Electa Quinney School is opened.
1972Outagamie Country Teachers College is closed after sixty years of service.
1975New city offices are opened in the old Badger Northland plant.
1976The new 6,300 square foot addtion is opened in the Kaukauna Public Library
1989New Post Office in completed on the north side of town.
1990Fox Valley Greyhound Park opens on north side of town.
1995First phase of Highway 55 reconstruction completed.
1996Badger Northland and Kaukauna Community Hospital close
1996Recreation trails open.
1997Groundbreaking for new High School.
